Helpful Information

 If your child uses  scripted language, or delayed echolalia, they are likely processing language in a gestalt manner of development. There are two ways that children process language: analytic and gestalt. While analytic processors process language word by word (e.g. "mom", then "mom go", then "mom go store"), gestalt processors process language in "chunks" or gestalts (also known as scripts). Single words are not processed as single units of meaning until later in language development. These children use delayed echolalia (often of whole phrases/songs/movie lines) to acquire language. Most autistic individuals are gestalt language processors, but neurotypical children can process language this way as well. Some children require support to effectively move through the stages of gestalt development to develop natural, self-generated language. 

• Echolalia: Repeating memorized phrases from others or media such as songs, Youtube videos, tv shows, etc.

• Studying and replaying certain parts of media, such as songs or favorite Youtube videos

• Intonation: Using a melodic way of speaking with a lot of variation in intonation

• Pronoun reversals: Making pronoun errors or referring to oneself in third person

• Many single word labels for things like farm animals, shapes, letters, numbers, etc. but difficulty combining these single words into phrases and sentences

• Difficulty responding to questions (e.g. echoing the question, repeating the last word of the question, no response)

• Hyperlexia, or early self taught reading ability 

• It is hypothesized that most autistic individuals process and acquire language in a gestalt manner

At this time due to licensing restrictions, we are not able to offer direct services to individuals outside the state of Illinois. However, we do offer parent coaching, clinician coaching/consultation, and IEP review and support to anyone, within the US and world wide!

 Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) is a description of the progression of gestalt language development in stages (1-6) as described by SLP Marge Blanc. Children progress through echolalia to novel, spontaneously self-generated language when provided support within this framework and via affirming, child led therapy approaches.